Andong is home to a community that was evicted from their land on the Phnom Penh riverside in 2006. Approximately one hour from the centre of the city, Andong residents struggle to make a living and as a result, extreme poverty, malnutrition and a wide range of social issues are rife. Our commitment to Andong is to provide long-term, sustainable opportunities for education and employment.
In 2011, we established Stellar Child Care Organisation (SCCO), our local Cambodian NGO. SCCO employs qualified, local teachers and social workers to deliver our initiatives:
In 2011, we established Stellar Child Care Organisation (SCCO), our local Cambodian NGO. SCCO employs qualified, local teachers and social workers to deliver our initiatives:
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Andong-based Education: Providing high quality early literacy through intensive school supplement programs and supporting Kork Rokar, the local primary school with additional classrooms, enrolment and teacher training.
Family Support: Providing the necessary care to strengthen the family and community units and instil positive behaviours for improved learning potential. Income Generation: Providing employment pathways for parents of children in our education projects via vocational training and mirco-business start-up funding. |
Andong-based education...
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With growth around the area developing a rate far greater than any infrastructure projects, Andong's children struggle to access quality education.
Prior to building ten new classrooms at Kork Rokar - the local primary school - there were 60 children in each classroom. Even with the new building, given the rate of expansion in the area, there are almost 50 children per classroom. It is our belief that education is the key to eradicating poverty and early literacy gives children the best chance at a lifetime of learning. We employ four full time teachers who work under the supervision of our Community Development Officer to deliver engaging early literacy programs in the hub of the Andong Community. We teach over 100 children, 6 days a week, and provide extra nutrition, monthly life skills sessions and access to our Community Library. |
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Family support...
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There are numerous social and economic reasons why children fall out of the education system in Cambodia. In addition to making education more accessible to the poor, we think supporting the family unit is the best way to get and keep kids in the classroom, which is why we provide the following services to families in Andong:
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In 2012, we opened a residential care facility for children at risk. Coming from homes broken by HIV, drug abuse, domestic abuse and extreme poverty, we provide a safe and stimulating environment where children can learn and be cared for, while their families get back on their feet. In 2018, we reintegrated our remaining at-risk children into supportive extended family units, where we'll continue to guide and counsel them in the loving environment of their family homes.
Covid proved difficult for the community. We had to temporarily shut our classrooms and our sewing centre, and focus on emergency family support. We've since reopened our classrooms and our sewing centre is now successfully run by mothers of children in our education projects. To date, we’ve directly helped over 100 families in Andong get back on their feet and start to provide a better life for themselves.
Covid proved difficult for the community. We had to temporarily shut our classrooms and our sewing centre, and focus on emergency family support. We've since reopened our classrooms and our sewing centre is now successfully run by mothers of children in our education projects. To date, we’ve directly helped over 100 families in Andong get back on their feet and start to provide a better life for themselves.
Income generation...
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We recognise that children can’t meet their potential without financial stability in the family home.
In 2016, we launched the Stellar Foundation - the first and only skilled employment opportunity inside the Andong Community. We employed and trained six local mothers, enabling them to earn a living for their families while their children attended school. Due to Covid, we had to close our sewing centre. The same mothers now run this independently as their own business, making it fully sustainable. We now focus on providing vocational training opportunities and supporting micro-businesses with start-up loans. |
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